Sperner family

noun

A family F of subsets of a finite set E in which none of the sets contains another; or, equivalently, an antichain in the inclusion lattice over the power set of E.

Meanings

nounSperner family (plural Sperner families)

plural Sperner families

  1. combinatoricsA family F of subsets of a finite set E in which none of the sets contains another; or, equivalently, an antichain in the inclusion lattice over the power set of E.

    Synonyms: clutter, Sperner system

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA family F of subsets of a finite set E in which none of the sets contains another; or, equivalently, an antichain in the inclusion lattice over the power set of E.

Origin

Named after Emanuel Sperner.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Sperner family. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sperner%20family

MLA

“Sperner family.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sperner%20family. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Sperner family,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Sperner%20family.

Source: Sperner family on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.